What to do in a car Accident. Being in an accident can be very stressful. These are the steps you need to take at the scene of an accident.
1. Stop Your Car.
2. Determine whether anyone is hurt.
3. Call Police they’ll send an officer if necessary or Call 911 to request any needed medical assistance.
4. Get to safety. Get yourself and your vehicle out of danger, move your car to a safe location, but do not leave the scene. If the crash is more severe or if anyone is hurt, leave the vehicles where they are.
5. If your car isn’t drive able, request roadside assistance to deliver vehicle to I’m Automotive 5230 Holiday Ave in Billings MT 406-201-9450.
6. Exchange information with those involved. Do not admit fault or reveal your policy limits.
7. Avoid roadside discussions about responsibility. Do not argue. Emotions can run high after a car accident.
8. Call your insurance company.
1. Stop Your Car
Stop immediately at the scene of the accident, or as close as possible to it. No matter how slight the collision, you must stop or you might subject yourself to criminal prosecution. When you stop, avoid obstructing traffic as much as possible. Never leave the scene — even for a minor fender bender — without a police report, especially if it’s clearly and obviously not your fault.
2. Determine whether anyone is hurt
Never leave the scene of an accident, even a minor one. Your first priority is safety; everything else can wait.Check yourself for injuries. If you’re injured, call 911 or ask someone else to do so. Check on the well-being of your passengers. Make sure everybody’s OK and get medical assistance if you or somebody else needs it.
Give Aid to the Injured
Montana law requires that any person involved in an accident must render reasonable assistance, including the arrangement of transportation of the injured to a physician or hospital for medical treatment if necessary or if requested by the injured person. Do not attempt to provide medical aid, unless you are trained in rendering emergency medical attention, because you might further injure the person rather than fixing the issue. The minimum law requirements are that you make arrangements for transporting the person to a physician or hospital.
3. Call the Police, County Sheriff, or Highway Patrol
The law requires that you give notice, by the quickest means of communication, of any accident resulting in injury to, or death of, any persons to the local police department. Even if the accident seems minor, contact the police department. Insist on calling the police even if the other driver exchanges information with you and agrees to turn the accident into their insurance. An accident report can provide you with a lot of information about how the accident happened and who was at fault. While it’s important to report the accident, in some areas the police may not respond to a minor collision.
If police arrive, note the officer’s name, badge number and contact information. Be sure to get a copy of the accident report or report number from the officer. You can order a copy of police report online at https://ci.billings.mt.us/2853/Order-Police-Reports.
Law enforcement officers are trained to handle situations involving accidents. Let the officer take over when you arrive. They are able to handle any emergency and investigate the accident.
If the police do not come, you can request a copy of the report from the law enforcement office, or through the insurance adjuster handling your claim. If no police investigation occurs and the accident results in injury, death, or property damage to any one person in excess of $1,000, you as the driver must file a written report concerning the accident with the within ten days after the accident. Your local police can assist you on how to properly file this report or you can file on line at https://ci.billings.mt.us/2838/Online-Reporting.
4. Get to Safety. Get Yourself and Your Vehicle Out of Danger
If you’re not injured and the accident was minor, carefully drive your car to the side of the road so it doesn’t impede traffic. Keep your hazard lights on and set up flares or reflective emergency triangles to alert other drivers to slow down. However, if the crash is more severe or if anyone is hurt, leave the vehicles where they are.
Even if you don’t think you’ve been injured, be extra careful when getting out of your car, especially if the accident took place on a highway or busy street. You may not be thinking logically, which could put you in danger.
5. Call a Tow Truck if Needed
Depending on how much damage your car sustained, it may need to be towed to I’m Automotive Collision Repair Center 5230 Holiday Ave Billings Montana 59101. Many people have motor club memberships, and roadside assistance is one of the benefits. The police may call a tow truck company, and some car manufacturers offer driver assistance programs, too.
Don’t assume a tow truck that magically shows up at the crash is reputable; always verify its credentials and take down all contact information, have them tow it to I’m Automotive 5230 Holiday Ave Billings Montana 59101.
6. Collect Important Information
Names, phone numbers, mailing addresses, and email addresses of the other driver(s), all vehicle occupants, and witnesses
Location of the incident
Photos of the scene and all vehicles involved, including tag numbers
Insurance information from others involved: company name, policy number, and phone number
If emergency services respond, make a note of:
Police report number
Phone number
Officer name and badge number
Use your cellphone camera to take pictures of documents or, with pen and paper, get the name, address, phone number and driver’s license number of everyone involved in the accident. If the driver’s name doesn’t match up with the car’s registration or insurance papers, determine the person’s relationship to the
vehicle’s owner.
Then, gather all vehicle information including year, make and model, color, license plate number and vehicle identification number. Get the insurance policy number and the company’s phone number, in case the other person doesn’t report the accident. See if any witnesses are willing to provide you with contact information and details about what they saw.
Never share your Social Security number, the coverage limits on your insurance policy or other personal information.
A. Get the Other Driver’s Information
Montana is a “fault” auto insurance state when it comes to financial responsibility for damages caused by a car accident. This means that the person who is at-fault for an accident is legally responsible for the financial consequences. You should always ask for the other driver’s contact information and insurance information so you or your attorney can begin speaking with them as soon as possible.
Duty to Give Information
The law requires that you give your name, address, and vehicle registration number to all persons involved in the accident. If requested, you as the driver must show your driver’s license to the other person involved in the accident. Do not comment on the cause of the accident and do not admit fault, even if you think you were in the wrong. You may later discover that the other driver was equally, or more, to blame in the accident. You have the right to consult a lawyer before making any statements.
If you strike an unattended vehicle, attempt to locate the operator or owner of the vehicle, or leave a written notice in a conspicuous place on the vehicle. Be sure to give your name, address, and the circumstances of the accident, and if you aren’t the owner of the vehicle, give the name and address of the owner of the vehicle that you were driving.
If you strike property upon, or adjacent to, a highway then you must attempt to locate and notify the owner or person in charge of the property. Give the owner or person in charge your name, address, and vehicle number. If requested, show your drivers license. The best policy is to give no more information that what the law requires.
B. Obtain Protective Information
Just as the law requires you to give certain information to other parties, you are entitle to receive the same information from other persons involved in the accident, and you should request that information. Additionally, try to find the names and addresses of any persons who may have witnessed the accident. Witnesses may be important later if legal action becomes necessary. Also, make notes of the important aspects of the collision to help you remember them.
The police will usually measure skid marks. If this is not done then you should measure them and make a sketch of their location and the location of any debris or other items. Such precautions may prove important in the event that legal questions should arise.
C. Document the Scene
Gather Witness Information
Look around to see who has stopped at the accident or who might be walking by. If you are medically able to, ask if people around witnessed the accident and get their contact information. Their testimony is valuable to your cause and proving the fault of the other driver. Then, you can provide this information to your attorney later on. This also holds true for pictures. Evidence of the events as close to the time when the accident occurred can be very helpful in the future.
Take Pictures
Record as much detail about the accident as possible using your smartphone’s camera, video and voice memo features.
Check the impact to the car: Was it on the front side, driver’s side, rear? It’s easiest to do that by taking a photo of the entire car and close-up photos of the damages for both your car and the other party. Dictate what happened while the details are still fresh in your mind. Include information about the weather and visibility.
Record the date and time of the accident, and photograph or video the entire scene of the accident, including skid marks or property damage. Note street names and the direction each vehicle was heading both before and after the accident.
One thing that often gets missed is the position of the cars [relative] to the street. This is critical information, because it helps the adjuster re-create the accident when you report the claim.
7. Avoid Roadside Discussions About Responsibility
Do not argue. Emotions can run high after a car accident, so if you believe the other driver is impaired or aggressive, trust your instincts. Stay in your car and don’t interact with the person, wait for police to arrive. Because a police intervention might be necessary.
8. Call Your Insurance Company
While it may be tempting to negotiate a cash deal to avoid making an insurance claim, not notifying your insurance company after a crash can leave you liable for damages stemming from the accident. Beyond documenting crash details, some insurers can send a tow truck, arrange a rental car or provide other roadside
assistance. It’s important to report your claim as soon as possible for a number of reasons. For example, accidents require a more detailed investigation. It’s always better to investigate quickly after the accident so that everyone remembers the details.
Many insurers now offer virtual tools such as a mobile phone app to allow you to begin the claims process online. Check your proof of insurance card for instructions or call the toll-free phone number. Your insurance company will ask for lots of information about the accident, and may even prompt you to use a remote inspection tool via your smartphone.
Stay in contact with your insurance company after reporting an accident, and keep all your accident-related documents organized as you work with your adjuster to process your claim.
9. See Your Doctor
If you have any doubt at all about your own condition, see your doctor immediately or go to the nearest emergency room for an examination and ask your passengers to do the same. Follow your doctor’s instructions to the letter. You may feel perfectly fine right after an accident, but some injuries become apparent only after a day or two. You can sustain serious head or spinal injuries from a minor impact, so visit your doctor if you experience pain or unusual symptoms.
Injuries resulting from a crash are usually included in your auto insurance claim, so it’s important to document any physical harm stemming from the accident.
What Happens Next? Be Proactive!!
Take control of the Insurance Repair process, REMEMBER!! You can have your vehicle repaired anywhere you wish. Insurance company may suggest their repair shops but that’s it. You do not have to take it to their recommended shop. By law insurance company cannot tell you where to repair your vehicle.
Consider I’m Automotive 5230 Holiday Ave Billings Montana 406-201-9450 location for one-stop stress free inspection, claim processing, repair, and rentals.
Our shop will begin the repair process as soon as you drop off your vehicle. You can go home in a rental vehicle if you have rental reimbursement coverage. We offer on-site current year Subaru’s for rent or loan.
We will process claim. You’ll get regular updates on your car’s repair progress
Once you report your claim and get a claim number, make an appointment with I’m Automotive 5230 Holiday Ave Billings Montana 59101 406-201-9450 for a one-stop stress free inspection, blue printing, claim processing and repairs. and pick up your rental vehicle if needed.
If your insurance company deems your vehicle a total loss — the cost of potential repairs outstripped the car’s value. If the driver who hit you has rock- bottom insurance coverage. Although it may be possible to try to extract money from other driver, In cases like these, your I’m Automotive insurance claims professional can help you navigate your options.
If the other person’s insurance isn’t sufficient to cover your damages, your I’m Automotive insurance professional can check your policy for any coverage that might address that.
For example, if your insurance company deems you were not at fault, it may have a liability waiver so you don’t pay your deductible.
The First Visit Typically Takes Around 30 Minutes.
We will review what happened and collect information needed to process your claim. That’s it we handle the whole process on your behalf including blue printing, tear down, detailed Insurance claim with images of all damages and parts shared with your Insurance Company. We work directly with your carrier to settle claim and perform all necessary repairs to restore your vehicle to like new condition. We will meet with Insurance estimator or adjuster for physical Insurance inspection if requested. You don’t even have to talk to or meet with our adjuster unless you want to.
Picking up Your Restored Vehicle Takes About 30 Minutes
When you pickup your restored vehicle, we will review all repairs done and do a physical inspection of all repairs with you.
